Big fashion names hit the suburbs

Carolyn Cummins

The suburbs are the next destination for international retail brands, with Sweden's H&M, Japan's Uniqlo, Spain's Zara and the US Gap labels all moving into the newly redeveloped Macquarie Centre in North Ryde.

Once the $440 million refurbishment of the mall is completed, it will be home to the most large-format international high street fashion brands of any Australian shopping centre.

Inside the redeveloped Macquarie shopping centre at North Ryde in Sydney.

Stockland and Investa own the mall and will undertake a $30 million upgrade to give H&M the biggest flagship store in the southern hemisphere.

Redevelopment of suburban and city malls has put Australia on the map for the overseas retailers, which have been hankering to move in, but have had no attractive sites to lease to make the appropriate "big" entrance. Now they have large flagship sites that allow them a grand opening.

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In its latest Sydney CBD Retail report, Savills' head of NSW research, Simon Hemphill, says a significant number of international brands are considering the Australian market and seeking flagship prime locations to spearhead their push.

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"Despite high rents, Pitt Street mall has unsurprisingly been a highly sought after location by international retailers hitting Australia," Mr Hemphill said.

H&M's manager for Australia, Hans Anderson, said the group would also introduce American designer Alexander Wang's highly anticipated collaborative collection when it opens its first NSW store in AMP's Macquarie Centre on October 16.

"We will have Alexander Wang in Macquarie and Melbourne, so both stores will have them in store in November, which is something that we don't normally do in suburban stores," Mr Anderson said.

H&M already has a store in Melbourne's former GPO and is opening its Collection of Style label nearby in Elizabeth Street. Mr Anderson said the larger suburban malls would also be targeted.

Macquarie Centre's $440 million transformation will be unveiled on October 16, with the international retailers joining department stores Myer and David Jones as well as 130 specialty fashion and beauty stores such as Scanlan Theodore, Zimmermann, Alice McCall, Gorman, Willow and Sass & Bide.

AMP Capital Shopping Centres managing director Bryan Hynes said the Macquarie Centre project was part of AMP Capital Shopping Centres' $2.8 billion development pipeline, which includes redevelopments at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast and Perth's Ocean Keys and proposed developments at Garden City, Booragoon and Karrinyup shopping centres also in Perth.

Mr Hynes said Macquarie Centre will become the largest suburban shopping centre in NSW, with 138,500 square metres of floor space.

"The centre will include the most international, large-format fashion brands of any Australian shopping centre as well as established local brands, aspirational fashion retailers, unique leisure and lifestyle retailers and the best fresh food offering in the area."